Seminar

Can information about energy costs affect consumers choices? Evidence from a field experiment

Massimo Filippini (ETH, Zurich)

November 23, 2020, 11:00–12:15

Toulouse

Room Zoom

Environment Economics Seminar

Abstract

We experimentally evaluate the role of imperfect information or limited attention about energy costs in the demand for energy-consuming household durables. Exploiting unique data from in-home visits on participants' current appliances and light bulbs, we provide households with customized information about the potential of monetary savings from adopting new, comparable and efficient, durables. We fi nd a substantial information treatment effect on both the energy efficiency of the newly purchased durables and the intensity of utilization of current appliances. These fi ndings suggest that individuals are not fully informed about or pay attention to energy costs in the context of household durables. (Join with Nina Boogen, Claudio Daminato, and Adrian Obrist)